1. When did the first truly significant period of rapid change in the English language begin?
The most important of these periods occurred during the two hundred and fifty years after 1066, the year the Normans conquered England.
answer: During 1066-1316,
2. What important change took place in England after the Norman conquest?
After their conquest of England they instituted Norman French as the dominant language ---- the language of the upper classes, of law, of government, and of such commerce as there was.
answer: They instituted Norman French as dominant language
3. What kind of people were the Normans?
The Normans were Norsemen who, after generations of raiding, had settled in northern France in the tenth century and by 1066 were speaking a form of French.
4. What accelerated the changes in English during the 17th and 18th centuries?
The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, during which printing became established, saw the stabilization of spelling and, more important, the establishment of colonies in America.
answer: The estabilshiment of printing and colonies in America
5. What change in written English is taking place?
The use of the colloquial in American writing is increasing rather than diminishing.
Our common, informal speech has always been colloquial; that is what the word colloquial means.
6. What other changes are taking place in English besides the change in writing?
The enormous enlargement of our vocabulary, the increasing use in our writing of the spoken idiom, and changes in our pronunciation are not the only changes that are taking place, however. There have also been significant grammatical alterations in our language.
answer: Vocabulary, writing, pronouciation and gramma
7. What examples can be used to illustrate the changes in English grammar?
A further example of change in our grammar is the great increase in the use of what are called “ empty ” verbs. Where people used to say “ Let’s drink ” or “ Let’s swim ” , there is now a strong tendency to say “ Let’s have a drink ” or “ Let’s take a swim. ” Where people formerly said “ It snowed heavily, ” we are inclined to say “ There was a heavy snowfall. ”
answer: There is tendency to have "empty" verb. Perhaps we are in the process of reducing verbs to few basic words.
Let's drink, Let's swim ---> Let's have a drink,Let's take a swim
It snowed heavily ---> There was a heavy snowfall
Topic
Why does a language change?
Development of society, science, economy,daily life.
With the development of our life, new things will happend almost every day. So language will develop when there were not enough words or phrases to describe something new
literature:
Creating new words or phrase. Like Shakespeares invented 2000 new words and phrases.
Colony: India, Africa, Austarlia, ect.
Absorb other language or take over other language.